Taunton man charged in hammer attack on ex-roommate

A Taunton man smashed his former roommate in the head with a hammer, leaving him lying in a pool of blood on Sunday night, police said.

Casey M. Pena, 32, who was living at 40 Marvel St., was ordered held without bail at a Taunton District Court arraignment on Monday, after being arrested by Taunton police on three charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

The victim, who was found by police in the living room of the Marvel Street apartment, was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital with a serious head injury. The victim was listed in “good condition” by a hospital spokesman on Monday night.

Pena allegedly attacked two others with the hammer and a homemade spiked weapon, resembling brass knuckles but with electrical tape and long metal nails. According to a Taunton police witness statement, there first was an fight involving a third roommate and a group who came to the apartment, before Pena came storming in with the hammer and his spiked, handheld weapon.

“(The witness) stated Casey came in swinging both weapons at everyone like a crazy man and struck (the victim who was sent to Rhode Island Hospital) and (another victim) in the head and hit (a third victim) in the left arm,” the report said.

The victim who suffered the serious head injury wanted to get personal items from the house, after Pena was accused of stealing and while Pena was being evicted by the victim’s mother, who owns the building, witnesses told police.

Taunton police also collected several threatening Facebook messages that Pena allegedly sent to the victim who suffered the serious head injury, and attached them to the report.

Before Pena entered the home, another attack took place there involving Corinne Reynolds, 28, of 94 Clifford St., who allegedly punched, kicked and stomped another woman who lived there in the head and ribs.

Reynolds was arrested on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a shod foot, and was given $1,000 bail by Judge Mary Elizabeth Heffernan.

Reynolds, who is due back in court on April 28 for a pretrial hearing, was ordered to stay away from the victim.

A dangerousness hearing was pursued by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office for Pena. Heffernan granted that request, which by state law allows the court to hold the defendant in a county jail for up to 90 days before a criminal trial.

Pena is due back in court for that hearing on April 7.

Pena has a criminal history, including charges from May 2012 of assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property over $250, felony breaking and entering, receiving stolen property over $250 and vandalism.